"Look at the mess you got yourself into. They thought they were just playing through a scenario, but those little guys who are so loyal to you never would've imagined that just now, they almost killed you with their own hands."
While the warriors were still thrilled about having challenged an astral demigod, Triss sat in the break room of the rowdy sewer arena, holding Murphy as he rested with his eyes closed. She said, her face full of concern:
"If you hadn't signed a pact with the Endless in advance and gained new powers, things might've gone badly today. Just like you said, a lot of people underestimated your warriors—even you did.
I did too, actually."
"It was fine. It only looked dangerous."
Thanks to his ability to regenerate at midnight, Murphy's health slowly recovered, and his body—aching all over from the fierce battle—relaxed. He was quite still in Triss's arms, holding a vial of source blood without using it.
In response to Triss's scolding, the vampire replied softly:
"Considering the four-plus months they've spent training for combat, they did really well, didn't they? If we bundled them up and dropped them into the Dark Mountains right now, they wouldn't be wiped out just like that.
The victory at Plaguehold and today's flawless performance have both proven that, for the most part, we succeeded in training and guiding them during the closed beta. When the next, more intense stage of conflict arrives, we'll be able to lead them into even more brutal battles with a clear conscience, without worrying that they'll crumble under the pressure.
We can't just throw a bunch of rookies into the Black Calamity's battlefields."
"Mm. From the development team's perspective, today's trial really was a success."
Triss sighed helplessly and reached out to stroke Murphy's